Glove assembly for controlled atmosphere enclosure



- Sept. 10, 1963 s. H. PERLMAN GLOVE ASSEMBLY FOR CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE ENCLOSURE Filed March 24, 1960 INVENTOR.

PERLMAN BY c2 E2 H S 2 SIDNEY H,

ATTORNEY United States Patent "'ce Filed Mar. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 17,285 3 Claims. (Ql. 2270) This invention relates to a glove assembly, and more particularly to a glove assembly for a controlled atmosphere enclosure.

In many fields of endeavor it has been found necessary to perform work in a controlled atmosphere enclosure. Such work is performed in a controlled atmosphere enclosure so as to prevent contamination thereof, such as when working with bacteriological organisms. Another area involving controlled atmosphere enclosures is where it is necessary to perform work under substantially vacuum conditions. When work is being performed in a controlled atmosphere enclosure, only the hands of the worker will extend into the enclosure. In order to prevent contamination or transfer of moisture into the controlled atmosphere enclosure, the worker is usually equipped with a pair of long gloves which extend beyond the elbow. These long gloves have been found unsatisfactory because they are expensive, a puncture of the finger portion of the glove necessitates replacing the entire glove, the female workers find it distasteful to have to wear the gloves worn by other women, and no provision is m'ade for introducing air into the glove so as to avoid sweatingof the hand.

This invention overcomes the above and other disadvantages of the prior art.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel glove assembly for controlled atmosphere enclosures.

It is another object of this invention to provide a glove assembly for controlled atmosphere enclosures wherein a glove is provided which can be easily and economically removed from the gauntlet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a glove assembly for control-led atmosphere enclosure which includes a means for preventing the sweating of the operators hands.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of applicants novel glove assembly with a portion of the gauntlet broken away for purposes of illustration.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 33 of Fl'GURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of the coupler ring of applicants novel glove assembly.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown a glove assembly for controlled atmosphere enclosures in FIGURE 1 which is designated generally as 14).

The glove assembly comprises a gauntlet 12 and a removable glove 14. The gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 are releasably secured together with an air-tight seal therebetween by the coupler ring 16.

Coupler ring 16, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, com prises an annular wall 18, and a pair of spaced flanges 2i) and 22. The coupler ring 16 may be made from aluminum, nylon, or other plastics such as Teflon. The

Edd-3,016 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 spaced flanges 20 and 22 extend in a radial direction outwardly from the outer periphery of the wall 18.

The gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 are made of flexible material such as neoprene or virgin rubber. The upper end of the glove 14 is provided with a beaded edge 24. The lower portion of the gauntlet 12 is provided with a beaded edge 26. The beaded edges 24 and 26 are disposed within the channel 28 which extends between the radial flanges 20 and 22. As shown in FIGURE 2, beaded edge 24 is disposed between headed edge 26 and flange 20. A portion of the glove 14 extends over flange 22 and between flange 22 and the lower portion of the gauntlet 12.

If air enters between the lower portion of the gauntlet 12 and flange 20, the air will enter into channel 23. If this air follows the coupler ring it will move between the flange 22 and the upper portion of the glove 14. If the air continues its path between the upper portion of the glove and the wall 18 it will come back out to the surrounding atmosphere. Thus, the coupler ring 16 provides a means for releasably securing the glove and the gauntlet together and an air-tight seal therebetween.

A pipe is provided for directing cool dry air to the palm portion of the glove 14. As shown in FIGURE 1, the pipe comprises pipe sections 32, 36 and 42. Pipe section 32 is connected to pipe section 36 by a joint 34. Pipe section 36 is connected to pipe section 42 by a joint 40. Pipe section 36 is fixedly secured to the inner surface of the gauntlet 12 by patch 38. Patch 38 extends over the pipe section 36 and is adhesively secured to the inner surface of the gauntlet 12. The pipe section 42 is connected to the outlet side of a pump 44. The inlet side of pump 44 is in communication with a source of dry cool air.

The gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 are assembled together as follows: The gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 are first turned inside out. In order to facilitate the easy manipulation of the gauntlet 12 the uppermost end of the gauntlet is provided with a beaded edge 36. Thus each edge of the tubular gauntlet 12 is beaded. With the gauntlet 12 inside out, the beaded edge 26 is slipped over the flange 20. With the glove 14 turned inside out, the beaded edge 24 is slipped over the flange 22 and is disposed between the beaded edge 26 and the flange 20. Then, the remaining portion of the glove including the palm and the fingers are forced through the center of the annular coupler ring 16 thereby turning the glove 14 inside out. Then, the coupler ring 16 and the glove 14 are forced through the gauntlet 12 thereby turning the gauntlet 12 inside out. Since the gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 were inside out before they were assembled together, the gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 are now right side out. The beaded edges 24 and 26 act as gaskets and cooperate with the coupler ring 16 in the adjacent surfaces of the glove and the gauntlet to provide an airtight seal.

The operation of the glove assembly for use in a controlled atmosphere enclosure is as follows:

The controlled atmosphere enclosure is usually provided with a glass or Lucite window through which the operator may see the apparatus to be worked on. The controlled atmosphere enclosure is usually provided with a pair of arm holes through which the operator will extend his arms. The operator puts a glove assembly as shown in FIGURE 1 on each of his arms and extends his arms through the arm holes in the controlled atmosphere enclosure. A clamp surrounding the arm holes on the controlled atmosphere enclosure clamps the operators arms around the gauntlet above the elbow so as to provide an air-tight seal between the gauntlet 12 and the controlled atmosphere enclosure. The operator will then operate a switch with his foot which will initiate the pump 44 which will pump cool dry air to the palm portion of the glove 14. Thus, the operator may -look through the glass or Lucite window and manipulate the apparatus to be worked on without contaminating the apparatus.

Since the gauntlet 12 and the glove 14 are secured together with an air-tight seal, the air pumped into the glove will not be able to contaminate the controlled atmosphere. Since the glove 14 and the gauntlet 12 are releasably secured together by the coupler ring 16, any punctures in the glove 14 due to the fingernails of the operator, rings on the fingers of the operator or by con tact with the apparatus being worked on will only necessitate the throwing away of the glove 14. Since the glove 14 is relatively inexpensive compared to the long integral gloves of the prior art which extend above the elbows, a marked saving has been effected. Since the glove 14 is releasably secured to the gauntlet 12, each operator may be provided with his own personal set of gloves. Since thegloves 14 are provided with a means for directing cool dry air into the palm portion thereof, the formation of sweat on the hands will be prevented. The presence of moisture on the hands and fingers is extremely disadvantageous since it interferes with the dexterity of the operator and punctures in the glove will result in the introduction of moisture into the controlled atmosphere enclosure. Since the controlled atmosphere enclosure often utilizes a great amount of heat in the apparatus :being Worked on by the operator, the cool dry air enables the operators hands to be more comfortable and permits the operator to maintain his hands Within the controlled atmosphere enclosure for a much longer period of time.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a glove assembly, an air-tight seal comprising a first flexible tubular member having a beaded edge, a being of smaller diameter than said first tubular member, second flexible tubular member having a beaded edge and the diameter of each of said beaded edges being substantially greater than the thickness of the material of the tubular member to which it is attached, an annular coupler ring having a pair of spaced radial flanges, the beaded edge of said first tubular member being disposed between said flanges with the remainder of said first member overlying one of said flanges and extending therebeyond, the beaded edge of said second member being disposed between the headed edge of said first member and the other of said flanges, a portion of said second member being disposed between said one flange and a portion of said first member, and the remainder of said second member extending through said annular coupler ring.

2. A glove assembly comprising a gauntlet of resilient material, a glove of resilient material, a portion of said gauntlet overlapping a portion of said glove, means releasably securing said gauntlet to said glove and providing a watertight seal therebetween, said means including a coupler ring having spaced radial flanges on the periphery thereof, a beaded edge on said glove, said beaded edge having a diameter substantially greater than the thickness of said glove, a beaded edge on said gauntlet, the diameter of the gauntlet beaded edge being substantially greater than the thickness of the material of said gauntlet, said gauntlet portion extending around and yieldably engaging a portion of said ring, said beaded edges being positioned on said ring between said flanges, the glove beaded edge sealingly contacting a portion of the gauntlet other than the beaded edge on said gauntlet, the gauntlet beaded edge sealingly contacting a portion of the glove other than the beaded edge on the glove, and said glove and gauntlet being retained on said ring solely by the interengagem'ent between said beaded edges.

3. A glove assembly in accordance with claim 2 including a pipe having a length greater than the length of said gauntlet, one end of the pipe extending into said glove and the other end of said pipe extending to a point adjacent the end of said gauntlet remote from said glove, and means fixedly securing said pipe to the inner peripheral surface of said gauntlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,093,834 Gaugler Sept. 21, 1937 2,473,033 Letac June 14, 1949 2,570,019 Wolk Oct. 2, 1951 2,573,414 Dunn Oct. 30, 1951 2,655,663 Hoagland Oct. 20, 1953 2,813,272 Hagan Nov. 19, 1957 2,842,773 Trexler July 15, 1958 2,985,129 Kirkpatric May 23, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 877,114 Germany Mar. 21, 1953 953,424 Germany Nov. 29, 1956 

1. IN A GLOVE ASSEMBLY, AN AIR-TIGHT SEAL COMPRISING A FIRST FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A BEADED EDGE, A BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER, SECOND FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A BEADED EDGE AND THE DIAMETER OF EACH OF SAID BEADED EDGES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE MATERIAL OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER TO WHICH IT IS ATTACHED, AN ANNULAR COUPLER RING HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED RADIAL FLANGES, THE BEADED EDGE OF SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FLANGES WITH THE REMAINDER OF SAID FIRST MEMBER OVERLYING ONE OF SAID FLANGES AND EXTENDING THEREBEYOND, THE BEADED EDGE OF SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BEADED EDGE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AND THE OTHER OF SAID FLANGES, A PORTION OF SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ONE FLANGE AND A PORTION OF SAID FIRST MEMBER, AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID SECOND MEMBER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ANNULAR COUPLER RING. 